Boot for shoe polishing device.



m. 664 ,l66. Patented Dec. 18, I900.

s. .1. MILLS.

BOOT 0B SHDE PDLIS H ING DEVICE.

(Application filed Aug. 11, 1899.)

(No Model.)

ma Noam: PETERS co.v PHOTG-L\THO,WASHINBTON, u. c.

NITED STATES ATENT v Fries.

BOOT OR SHOE POLISHING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,166, dated December 18, 1900.

Application filed August 11, 1899. Serial No. 726,917. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL J. MILLS, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Woodstock, in the county of McHenry and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boot or Shoe Polishing Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The present invention relates to improvements in boot and shoe polishing devices of that class in which a strip of fabric is reciprocated over the surface to be polished, its ends passing under suitable guides attached to the support on which the article to be polished rests; and the objects of the invention are, first, to provide a very simple, efficient, and inexpensive article for the purpose stated, and, secondly, to provide such a device which will be reversible and conform to the shape of the article to be polished and to which the polishing-cloth can be more easily and completely applied than is possible with devices for the same purpose heretofore in use.

With these and other ends in view the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts, that will be hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a device constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing the same in use. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the device in one position. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the device in a reverse position. Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing the manner of applying the polishing-cloth to the device.

Like letters of reference designate correfoot-block are pivotally connected two guides 13 G for the polishing-cloth or fabric strip D.

These guides are preferably formed of stout spring-Wire and are arranged and secured to the piece A in the manner illustrated. The guide B extends along both sides and across the forward end of the block A, being separated from said sides and end by a suitable passage or space E, through which the polishing-strip extends when in use. Thesaid guide is preferably formed of a single piece of wire, the ends of which are bent inwardly andinserted in suitable sockets,f0rmed in the side'faces of the block A. Preferably these sockets F are arranged, as shown in the drawings, slightly in advance of the heel-stops a, above referred to. The said sockets are situated in a horizontal plane substantially equidistant from the two horizontal faces or surfaces of the block A, and the guide B is retained in its operative position by engagement with a catch or lock-piece G, secured to the forward end of the base-piece A. As shown, the lock-piece or catch is preferably provided with two forwardly curving surfaces which are separated by a recess or notch, into which the guide B extends when in operative position. The engagement between the guide B and said catch is such that while the guide will be retained in the desired substantially horizontal position when in use it can be disengaged from said catch and turned about its inwardly extending pivot ends into the inclined position shown in Fig. 4. This possibility of adjustment is of great advantage to the operator in applying the polishing-strip D to the device. If the guide 13 were immovably secured to the block A, it would be necessary to thread, the'said strip through the passage E between one side of the block A and the guide, then carry it across the upper surface of the block and down through the passage or space E between said guide and the opposite side of the block. With the present construction, however, the guide is swung or turned up into the position indicated in Fig. 4 or sufficiently to bring its forward end above the upper sur- 1 face of the block A, and then the strip D is laid across such surface. When the guide is returned to its operative position and secured by reason of its engagement with the catch Or, it will be seen that the strip is in opera- IOO tive position with respect to said guide and that the operator merely has to draw upwardly on said strip between the members of the guideB to form acurving portion, beneath which the toe of the boot or shoe to be polished is projected.

As will be apparent, the device herein illustrated and described is reversible, and in either position (whether arranged to receive a right or left shoe or boot) it is possible to polish not only the sides, but the curving portion between the sides and heel-that is, by having the block A made in the form of a boot or shoe and having the guide B extend I around the front or tip end thereof, as well as along the sides, every portion of a boot or shoe can be polished by the strip D. This would be impossible if the block A were of rectangular form and of the same width throughout its length as that portion adapted to receive the sole of the boot or shoe to be polished and the guide or guides for the polishing-strip extended only along the sides of the foot-block, and by having the front guide B pivotally connected to the block A it will be seen that the polishing-strip D can be readily removed and properly readjusted when the position of the device is reversed.

The guide 0 is pivotally connected with the base-piece or foot-block A in rear of the guide B. Like the guide B first described, it is preferably formed from a single piece of spring-wire, the ends of which are bent inwardly and extend into sockets H, formed in the sides of the block A. This guide 0 is of such form and size as to be turned freely about its pivot connection with the block and pass over the heel portion of the block A, so as to be in operative position in either position of said block. When in use, it extends upwardly and rearwardly from its points of connection with the block A and transversely across the operative surface of said block. It thereby serves both as a stop against which the upper of the boot or shoe being polished rests, the toe portion of the article being passed through said guide, as indicated in Fig. 1, and as a guide for the polishing-strip D when arranged to polish the heel of such boot or shoe.

The manner of using and the advantages of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing description and the drawings.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. Theherein-described device,forsupporting a hoot or shoe to be polished, consisting of a block or rest; guides connected with the sides of the block and extending longitudinally thereof out of contact therewith; and a supplemental guide connected to the block and extending transversely across the upper surface thereof.

2. The herein-describeddevice,forsupporting a boot or shoe to be polished, consisting of a block or rest; guides connected with opposile sides of the block and extending longitudinally thereof out of contact therewith; and a supplemental guide extending transversely across the upper surface of the block, said supplemental guide being pivotally mounted whereby the block can be reversed to bring either horizontal face or surface into operative position.

3. In a boot and shoe polishing device, the combination of a base-block or support; a guide pivotally connected to said block and extending along the sides thereof out of contact therewith; means for holding said guide stationary in the planes of the support; and a polishing-cloth adapted to extend transversely over the upper surface of the block and have its ends extend beneath the said guide on opposite sides of the block.

4. In a boot and shoe polishing device, the combination of a base-block or support; a guid e-frame connected with the block and extending along opposite sides of and across one end thereof, out of contact therewith, a supplemental guide pivotally connected to the block and adapted to extend across the upper surface thereof; and a polishing-cloth adapted to pass transversely across the block and between opposite sides of said block and the guide-frame.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL J. MILLS.

Witnesses:

GEORGE L. JoNEs, GEo. W. FIELD. 

